


He Has A Heart

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Feels, Depression, F/M, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hydra (Marvel), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Multi, Other, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, SHIELD, Slow Burn, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Has Trust Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-03-05 23:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13398255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony Stark is a man who has done both good and bad for the world, but it seems he greatly messed up this time. All of the Avengers and Pepper Potts have turned against him, causing him to become something he hides from the world.Tony realizes a threat has entered the Avengers Tower, and he works to get rid of it. Stark does what he does best... sacrifice himself.Maybe this small, selfless act could bring his demise... or it could reveal a budding relationship between Tony and the two Super Soldiers, Bucky and Steve.





	1. it's tony stark

**Author's Note:**

> Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Age of Ultron never happened. An event the Avengers refer to as the Civil War has happened, though. Basically, there was a lot of fighting over whether Bucky and Loki should be allowed to join the Avengers a lot. Everyone blamed it on Tony, in the end. Everyone knows about Clint's family because he allowed them to visit after Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Ever since the break-up, Tony had been down-right depressed, and no one seemed to notice. Pepper Potts had broken up with him after she figured out that he was the cause of the Avengers fighting so much. At least, that’s what everyone told him. He didn’t want to believe that he was the reason that this mess was happening. He didn’t want to believe that this was his fault. 

It wasn’t, was it?

He had thought that the Avengers would agree that everyone was at fault this time. That the tension had been building and they had all forgotten that they had a way to diffuse the tension so things like this didn’t happen. That didn’t turn out to be the case. They all put the blame on him. Maybe it was because it seemed like he could take anything, like he could simply take the blame for the fight, and everyone else would be able to get back to their everyday lives. 

Tony didn’t blame them, in fact, he agreed with them. Sure, he felt completely alone, especially since Pepper had left just as everyone turned the blame on him, but he was going to hold on. That’s what he told himself. No one would hold him back anymore, and he could be the amazing Tony Stark he was meant to be. But… perhaps that was it, he felt lonely. He no longer felt like he belonged, he felt like he was a foreigner in his own home.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Tony walked into the kitchen, bags under his eyes and hands trembling, attempting to keep himself from going into a full-blown panic attack. It had been weeks, maybe even months, since he had slept properly and not had multiple panic attacks in a single day. Upon entering the kitchen, Tony saw Bruce Banner already brewing a fresh pot of coffee. Tony stood silently, looking away from Bruce as Bruce shuffled around, looking in the fridge and cabinets, looking for a small snack to eat. 

Maybe it was muscle memory or a familiar situation, but Tony moved to a certain cabinet, opening it to find dried banana chips, a favorite of both Bruce’s and the Hulk’s. He silently handed the dried fruit over to Bruce before sitting on a stool at the island, his hands still shaking. It had been so long since Tony had a positive interaction with anyone. Even Rhodey was full of fire and yelling at Tony. The only person who Tony could trust was JARVIS, and he was an AI. 

“Thank you,” Bruce mumbled as he opened the bag, reaching in a hand to pick out a few pieces of the fruit. He started eating them, his eyes switching between the coffee pot and Tony, who had been completely silent since entering the kitchen. The man was usually talkative and hyper, even at this time of night, yet the man in front of him didn’t even seem to resemble the man Bruce knew. What had happened in the weeks that Bruce and the Avengers didn’t interact with Tony? 

Suddenly, the light in the hall turned on and Steve Rogers entered the kitchen, Bucky Barnes clutching to his side. It was clear they both had a nightmare. Tony had memorized everyone’s habits by now. If only one of them had a nightmare, they would stay in bed and cuddle, waiting it out until dawn. If they both happened to have a nightmare, they’d come to the kitchen to have a cup of coffee and a small snack, knowing that the science bros would be out there. Tony nearly winced at thinking of himself and Bruce as the science bros. They weren’t that anymore. Everyone hated Tony, now. 

“Bucky? Steve? What’s wrong?” Bruce asked as he saw the two sit down on two of the empty stools, a few empty stools between where Tony say and where Steve was, separating Bucky from him, protectively. Tony frowned. For the genius that Bruce was, he had a hard time understanding certain habits of certain people. Tony always seemed to understand people, though, it was his thing.

“They both had a nightmare. They only ever come out here in the middle of the night if they both have nightmares. They can’t stand darkness if they both have a nightmare,” Tony pointed, his voice rough and scratchy from not using it in so long. He had just communicated with JARVIS on a tablet, meaning he didn’t really have any use for his voice. Steve and Bucky both looked at Tony, surprised, although Tony didn’t see that because his head was down, trying to make himself see as small as possible.

“Tony’s right. Why are you here, Bruce?” Steve asked, keeping his voice quiet so as not to disturb Bucky, who was curling against Steve and staring at nothing, a certain haunting look in his eyes that was only seen when he was bordering on entering Winter Soldier mode. 

“Bruce only comes here when he’s close to a break through, but he can’t find the last piece he needs to finish whatever he’s working on. Coffee usually helps to clear his head,” Tony mumbled again, standing up and moving to the just finished coffee pot. He grabbed a green, blue, and gray mug, filling them all with coffee. Bruce’s, the green one, he left black, handing it straight to the surprised man. In Steve’s, the blue one, he added lots of sugar and cream. He then prepared Bucky’s, the gray one, and put only a little bit of cream but lots of sugar into it. He handed the cups to Steve and Bucky, before he reached into the cabinet for his favorite red cup, taking it out and calmly pouring coffee into it, adding a lot of cream and just as much sugar. Tony didn’t care how the coffee was, he liked it no matter what, but recently he had been adding a lot of sugar and cream, hoping it’d help keep him awake for longer periods of time. Tony took his cup and made his way to the elevator, moving to make his way back down to the workshop. He needed to get a head start on that prototype for Fury, and it was going to take him longer than usual to complete it. 

“That doesn’t seem like the Tony we know,” Steve pointed out as the elevator door closed, exchanging glances with Bucky and Bruce. Bruce shrugged and turned to go back down the hall leading to his room. Steve watched the doctor leave in shock, not knowing that his friend thought so little of Tony. 

“Does he really not act like that?” Bucky questioned, head tilting in interest. Steve shook his head, a frown coming on his face as his eyes watched the elevator door, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“No, Tony’s much more lively than that . . . “ Steve trailed off.


	2. overworked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... Tony overworks himself. Bucky and Bruce are the only ones who care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... so these chapters are sort of to set the plot for what I have planned. Once again, Civil War and Age of Ultron never happened. Thanks for reading!

Tony sat quietly in the workshop. It had been weeks since he had encountered any of the other Avengers, and it was starting to weigh down on him. He could hear them at nights, sometimes, when they’d have a meeting and he was in the kitchen, not having been invited to the meeting. It broke his heart. He could tell they no longer considered him as part of the Avengers. Tony understood them, somehow. Any normal person would get angry and kick them out of their home, but Tony wasn’t any normal person. Tony understood why they were mad, even if people like Coulson and Fury told him that it wasn’t his fault. Tony was insecure, and it seemed like the Avengers were feeding off of that insecurity. 

Tony sighed and looked at the monitor in front of him, debating whether he should do what he so desperately wanted to do, but hesitated in doing due to the respect he still had for people’s privacy. It may not have seemed like he respects everyone’s privacy, but he did. Even though he knew certain things, he only used them if he actually needed them.

“JARVIS, anytime the Avengers have a meeting, I’d like you to stream video and audio to wherever I am, unless there is someone with me. If there’s someone with me, just record it and show it to me when I’m alone,” Tony ordered his AI, who had full reign of the tower.

“Sir, are you sure that is the best option?” JARVIS asked, and it seemed like he had a hint of concern in his robotic voice. JARVIS was programmed to keep Tony sane and healthy, and this seemed as if it would make Tony feel worse. If he knew what the Avengers were saying, he’d wish he had never opened his home to them.

“I am sure, JARVIS. I need this,” Tony replied, swirling around in the chair he was in. He looked to the calendar and realized it had been six months since the break-up, seven months since the civil war, and three months since he had any contact with any of the Avengers. Tony didn’t even remember the last time he ate, and he felt weak. He couldn’t even get enough energy to work on any of his projects, all he could do was fiddle with a few springs and screws, and that’s the only things he really had energy for. 

Tony stood up slowly, stumbling and dizzy. It had been a long time since he had ate, and it showed in his movements. He was slow and sluggish, definitely not in perfect condition for if anyone decided to kidnap him. He was used to this, though. It was often a side effect for his insomnia if he stayed up for too long and forgot to eat too much. The only difference this time around was that he was doing it on purpose. He was doing his best to avoid interacting with any of the other Avengers, and he needed to avoid the nightmares. They were worse now because he had no one to help him through them. He used to have Steve, Clint, or Pepper, but all three of them hated him now. 

No one had even come down to leave food for him. Bruce or Clint used to do that whenever he had been in the lab too long without food, but he hadn’t seen either of them in months.

“JARVIS, how long has it been since I slept?” Tony asked.

“Ten days, Sir,” the AI replied.

“When was the last time I ate?” Tony questioned.

“Thirteen days, Sir,” JARVIS answered. Tony nodded absentmindedly. He should probably eat, but he didn’t think he’d make it to the kitchen, and he didn’t want to face any of the Avengers.

“JARVIS, is there anyone who doesn’t blame me?” Tony asked the AI, desperately needing someone to help him. He felt dizzy and as if he would pass out.

“Mr. Barnes seems to still think of you as a friend and fellow Avenger,” JARVIS replied, only for Tony to be passed out on the floor before he even started talking. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Bucky was sitting in his and Steve’s room, peacefully reading a book Steve had given him while Steve, Sam, Clint, and Natasha were off on a mission, looking for a potential HYDRA base. Bucky wasn’t yet allowed on HYDRA missions, a fear of being controlled again still in everyone’s minds.

“Mr. Barnes, Mr. Stark requires your assistance in the lab,” JARVIS spoke, interrupting Bucky’s reading. Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed, why would Tony need his help? Bucky ignored his questions and made his way to the elevator, setting it to go down to the bottom floor.

“JARVIS, why does Tony need my help?” Bucky asked the AI as the elevator started moving.

“Mr. Stark seems to have passed out from malnutrition and lack of sleep. You seem to be the only who doesn’t hate him, Mr. Barnes, which is why I went to you, first,” JARVIS explained. After hearing this, Bucky grew nervous. Tony had passed out, and no one would’ve known if JARVIS wasn’t around. No one had even seen Tony for three months, everyone had thought he left and relented the tower to SHIELD’s control. Turns out they all underestimated Tony. 

The elevators opened and Bucky rushed out and quickly entered Tony’s lab, seeing the man on the floor, out cold. Bucky approached him and turned Tony onto his side, hoping that Tony would get better soon.

“JARVIS, please send for Dr. Banner,” Bucky asked. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Barnes, but Tony has ordered me not to allow anyone into the lab besides you,” JARVIS replied, regret almost present in his voice. Bucky thought for a moment before picking Tony up carefully. 

“Tell Dr. Banner to meet me in the infirmary. Tell him someone is hurt, but don’t tell him who,” Bucky ordered, making his way to the elevator with Tony in his arms, hoping that Tony could be saved. Bucky had no idea that Tony had been so poorly. No one had known. No one had even been paying attention to him. Bucky may not have been around long, but he was pretty sure the Avengers were supposed to be a team that cared for each other. That no longer seemed to be the case. 

Bucky entered the infirmary with Tony in his eyes, seeing Bruce’s eyes widen at the sight. Bucky placed Tony on one of the beds as Bruce set about checking Tony’s temperature, blood pressure, and other important things.

“What happened?” Bruce asked as he set up an IV and feeding tube. Bucky stared at Tony as the doctor worked before he snapped out of it at Bruce’s question.

“JARVIS says he hasn’t been eating or sleeping,” Bucky replied, turning to the glowing in Tony’s chest where his Arc Reactor was brightly glowing.

“JARVIS, how long?” Bruce asked, worried that this time Tony might have gone too far.

“Ten days of no sleep. Thirteen days without eating, Sir,” JARVIS replied. Bucky could swear he heard worry in the AI’s voice, but he could never be sure. The real question was, how could Tony be so stupid? A human couldn’t go very long without sleep and food at the same time, and it seems like Tony was attempting just that. Bucky had to wonder what exactly was going through the genius’ mind. 

“That’s the longest he’s ever gone without food. Either Steve or I used to force him to eat. We haven’t been paying attention, and it may have cost us. None of us have even seen him in such a long time,” Bruce mumbled, setting up more equipment.

“Three months,” Bucky mumbled, loud enough for Bruce to hear. Bruce turned to the soldier, confusion on his face. “No one has seen him for three months. As far as I can tell, he stayed down in his lab and only came up at night for food, when no one was awake,” Bucky explained himself. Realization dawned on Bruce’s face. How could no one realize that Tony wasn’t alright? Tony was usually anywhere where there was a person unless he had a project. He was always talking, and honestly, Bruce had forgotten the sound of his voice.

“It’s been so long. What was he thinking?” Bruce asked himself.

“Apologies, Sirs, but Mr. Rogers and Mr. Wilson are requesting to be put through,” JARVIS announced. Bruce jumped and glanced at Tony, then at Bucky.

“Put them through, JARVIS,” Bucky ordered, turning to the screen in front of them. The faces of Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson appeared, both with smiles on their faces. Suddenly, the smiles fell and turned into frowns once they realized exactly where Bruce and Bucky were. 

“Buck? Bruce? Why are you in the infirmary?” Steve asked, confusion clear in his voice.

“Tony passed out,” Bucky replied, frowning. At that, both Sam and Steve seemed relieved, and that somehow made Bucky angrier.

“Oh, thank god, we thought something had happened to you,” Sam spoke for both Steve and himself.

“No, but something did happen to your teammate,” Bruce pointed out.

“Teammate? He can hardly be considered that,” Steve fliplantly replied, before suddenly remembering why he and Sam had called.

“Oh, we just finished the mission. We took down the HYDRA base, and we’re on our way back now,” Sam explained, seeming to realize where Steve’s mind was going. Bucky frowned. They really didn’t care about Tony. That was when Bucky made a decision. If no one cared for Tony, he would, and he would certainly call a team meeting with everyone to make it clear that Tony was still apart of the team, despite what he had done. 

Suddenly, the screen went black and Bucky turned to Bruce, who turned to him. Bucky noticed a green tint to Bruce’s skin, but he didn’t make a comment.

“I apologize, Sirs, but your heart rates were skyrocketing due to anger. I had to end the call before we had a Code Green or a Code Winter,” JARVIS apologized. Bucky did a double take when JARVIS said Code Winter. There was such thing? When did that happen?

“When did Code Winter become a thing?” Bruce asked, voicing Bucky’s question.

“Sir had realized that Mr. Barnes’ memories sometimes set him back, so he installed Code Winter so he could look for patterns and find out ways to help. I am only allowed to report a Code Winter to Sir, that is why no one else had heard it,” JARVIS explained. Bucky stared with wide eyes at Tony. He was worried? About Bucky? But why? There was nothing really special, he was just a broken Brooklyn boy, a man out of his time, just as Steve was.

“Dr. Banner, can I leave Tony in your hands for awhile? I have a few things I need to take care of,” Bucky requested, looking at Bruce hopefully. The man nodded, and Bucky quickly left the room, going straight to the gym.

Bucky quickly wrapped his hand, before immediately starting to punch at the punching bag specifically engineered for Steve, Thor, Loki, and himself. Bucky seemed to be throwing hits at amazing speeds, a fire in his eyes. He needed to release steam, and this was the only way he knew how.

Why was Stark worried about him? Why did he make a Code Winter? Did Tony have a code for all of them, or was it just Bucky? And why was Stark so irresponsible? The guy was a genius, you’d think he’d remember to eat and sleep. And that’s when Bucky stilled. Tony Stark was a genius. He should remember to do simple everyday things. He used to, according to Steve. So what changed? A million ideas ran through Bucky’s head, most of them bad and unfathomable. Bucky took a deep breath before swinging a final, heavy punch with his metal arm, completely destroying the punching bag. He didn’t know how it was possible, but it happened. Bucky immediately felt guilty that Tony would have to make a new one, but he ignored his guilt and unwrapped his hand.


	3. fury and coulson step in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... Fury and Coulson need to step in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading! Once again, Civil War and Age of Ultron did not happen.

It was three days later when Tony finally woke up. Bucky and Bruce had taken turns supervising him, seeing as no one else seemed to really care that Tony had been on the verge of death for pushing himself too far. 

When Tony did wake up, Bruce had immediately escorted him to the meeting room, where he was surprised to see Bucky and Fury already waiting. Bucky motioned for Tony to sit across from him and next to Fury, who would be sitting at the head of the table. Bruce sat to the left of Tony. Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Sam were the next to enter the room. Steve sat to the right of Bucky, and Sam to the right of Steve. Natasha sat to the left of Bruce, and Clint to the left of her. There were still four more empty seats, and Tony was starting to realize that the entire team was being assembled. A few moments later, Thor and Loki entered. Loki sat to the left of Clint, and Thor sat across from Loki, leaving a seat between Sam and himself. Rhodey then entered, sitting between Sam and Thor. The final person to enter was Phil Coulson, who closed and locked the door behind him, making the Avengers realized no one was allowed to leave until Fury allowed it.

“What’s going on?” Steve was the first to speak, looking at all of the people around the table, but completely avoiding even glancing at Tony. Fury stood up from his chair, drawing all attention to him.

“I have been informed by one of you,” Fury started, and Tony didn’t miss the glance he gave Bucky, although everyone else did, “that you guys no longer seem to function as a team.”

“What do you mean? We’ve been functioning perfectly well,” Clint argued, although he knew he was lying. They all knew he was lying.

“Do not lie to me, Barton. It has come to my attention that since your little civil war, Stark has been excluded. He was in the infirmary, nearly dead, and none of you but Banner and Barnes cared. Your teammate could’ve died, and none of you cared!” Fury shouted, anger clear. Everyone but Phil Coulson flinched at his raised voice.

“We didn’t know he was almost dead,” Sam tried to say, trying to defend himself.

“Stop lying. Dr. Banner and Mr. Barnes both made it clear that Tony had starved himself and hadn’t slept in days. You’re all heroes, it should be common sense that those two things put together is a dangerous combo,” Phil spoke up, glaring at everyone around the table.

“I’m honored that you’re all fighting over me and all, but really, this isn’t needed, I’m fine,” Tony insisted, finally opening his mouth. He flinched as most of the people at the table turned to him and glared.

“See! Listen to the man, he’s fine,” Clint insisted. Fury turned to Banner, nodding to the man. Bruce took a breath and stood.

“Maybe this will convince you,” Phil spoke before nodding to Banner to start speaking.

“Before JARVIS called Bucky to get Tony, there was a lot going on. None of us had seen him in three months, which is bad in itself. Tony was always around someone, always. We all just assumed he had left to Malibu or something, and no one had even questioned his whereabouts. Tony had been in the workshop the entire time, only coming up for food, and that was at night, so he could avoid us and our snide comments. During the three months spent in his workshop, you’d think he’d work on things, right? Wrong. His last project was Clint’s new arrows, a week after he disappeared. After that, all he did was sit down there and think. At least, that’s what I know. When he passed out, he had already been requesting Bucky’s assistance, because he knew Bucky was the only one who didn’t blame him. When Stark came to the infirmary, I asked JARVIS what happened. It was explained that Tony had not slept for ten days, and he hadn’t had anything to eat for thirteen. Those two put together is a deadly combination, as Phil said, and he was on the verge of death. None of us would have known if Tony hadn’t already been calling for Bucky. Tony had changed JARVIS’ protocols so that he couldn’t call for help for Tony unless Tony was already calling for help. Tony would have died, and we wouldn’t have known until someone went down to the workshop and seen Tony’s dead body for themselves,” Bruce explained to everyone, and that’s when the seriousness of the situation had set it. Tony was relieved when he heard that they didn’t figure out about his panic attacks of his depression and self-harm. He didn’t need anyone knowing about those. They would just think he was looking for attention.

“Wait, he could still just be looking for attention. I mean, he did call for Bucky,” Steve pointed out, still not believing that Tony was innocent.

“Maybe I didn’t want to die, even if I was trying!” Tony snapped, before shutting his mouth. He couldn’t believe he just said that. He just revealed he really was trying to die. Everyone was in a shocked silence, before someone finally spoke up.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Rhodey questioned. Tony kept quiet, staring at the table in front of him, not saying a word. 

“All you guys did was judge him and blame him for something that was everyone’s fault!” Bucky yelled, slamming his metal fist down on the table. Everyone jumped except Tony, who had retreated into his mind, not wanting to hear anything else. Bucky took a deep breath and retracted his arm from the table, seeing how there wasn’t any damage. He was secretly glad that Tony was such a genius and he had taken into consideration the strength of Steve, Thor, Loki, Hulk, and himself.

“So you see, Avengers, you are a split team. Right now, none of you can be trusted. Since your civil war, Bucky and Loki had been accepted onto the team without much problem, so why do you continue to fight?” Phil asked, bringing up a valid point. At first, the fight had been about Bucky and Loki joining the team, and SHIELD’s rebuilding. SHIELD managed to filter out anyone who was HYDRA and rebuild itself, and now Bucky and Loki were accepted onto the team. So why were they still blaming Tony for something that was already fixed.

“Well, how do you propose we fix this?” Steve finally asked, realizing that it did need to be fixed, and soon. An enemy could appear when they were vulnerable, and they wouldn’t be ready for it. Steve can’t let that happen.

“From now on, all of you are confined to the tower. If you need anything, a SHIELD agent will get it for you. You are to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. You are to spend four hours a day together, not including meals. And no one is allowed to be anywhere alone, unless you are going to bed. You will all train together directly after breakfast for three hours, and we will send in a therapist. You will have a group session with her everyday after dinner, and you’ll all have private sessions with her, as well. You will bond for the next month, and then Phil and I will be back to assess you and decide if you are ready to go out into the field again or not. Understood?” Fury spoke, an edge of anger but also desperation in his voice. Tony Stark may be an ass, but he didn’t deserve this treatment, and the Avengers needed to get their shit together if they were going to be working as a team.

Everyone around the room nodded, and Phil and Fury stood up. 

“We will send a schedule to you, and JARVIS will be reminding all of you. He will also report to us if you guys don’t follow the schedule. Goodbye,” Phil explained before he and Fury swiftly left the room, leaving the Avengers in shock.

Things were going to change from that point out.


	4. schedule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh... the Avengers are being controlled by Coulson and Fury, now. At least they have the decency to actually follow the schedule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Age of Ultron and Civil War never happened. This is probably the shortest chapter that will be in this book. I'll probably post chapter five too because of how short it is.
> 
> How do you guys like the story so far? Please comment and tell me what you think! Do any of you have any predictions for what is happening? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and who knows, I might drop a couple hints.

“JARVIS, please tell everyone to come to the meeting room,” Steve asked, already sitting at his spot. Phil had sent the schedule through, and it was time the Avengers take a look at it and start following it. Luckily, Fury was giving them a chance to settle things down today before starting the routine tomorrow. One by one the team arrived, and when everyone was there, JARVIS turned on the screen, revealing the schedule.

6 AM - Wake up Call, One hour of freetime  
7 AM - Breakfast, Take turns making  
8 AM - Training starts  
11 AM - Training stops, One hour of freetime  
12 PM - Lunch, Take turns making  
1 PM - Quality time starts  
4 PM - Quality time end, One hour of freetime  
5 PM - Dinner, Take turns making or ordering  
6 PM - Group therapy starts

8 PM - Group therapy ends  
8 PM to 9 PM - Private sessions #1/Freetime for those not attending  
MON. - Tony  
TUE. - Steve  
WED. - Bucky  
THURS. - Sam  
Fri. - Rhodey  
Sat. - Bruce  
Sun. - Clint

9 PM to 10 PM - Private sessions #2/Freetime for anyone not attending  
Mon. - Thor  
Tues. - Loki  
Wed. - Natasha  
Thurs. - Tony  
Fri. - Loki  
Sat. - Steve  
Sun. - Bucky  
10 PM - Hour of freetime  
11 PM - Bedtime

REMEMBER: No one may be alone unless it’s for sleeping or a private session, No one is allowed to leave the tower, You have a total of 6 hours of freetime, JARVIS will report if you are not following this schedule, Everyone must take a turn at making/ordering food.  
Fury and I will check in after a month.

~ Phil Coulson

After all of the Avengers had finished reading, they were shocked. Fury and Coulson had literally given them an entire schedule to go by, from the time they woke up to the time they went to sleep. Tony realized that this gave him little time to work in the workshop, and even if he did, he needed someone there with him. This was going to be annoying, but Tony didn’t want to test Fury and Coulson. They had both seemed pretty pissed at what had happened since the civil war.

“Well, we have a day before the schedule starts,” Steve announced. Everyone nods, and they suddenly all rush out of the room, desperate to do a few things before they were forced to be with someone at all times.

This schedule may prove to be difficult to those who were used to almost always being alone.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The next day, an alarm sound blared throughout the rooms of the Avengers at six o’clock, bright and early. Tony grumbled as he forced himself to get up and out of his bed. As soon as he entered his private bathroom, the alarm in his room stopped, and he was left in a peaceful silence. Last night everyone had agreed that Bucky would make breakfast first because he seemed to be the best at making food. As Tony got ready for the day, he tried to think of how would be willing to spend time with him so he wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t think of anyone. No one wanted to be near him.

With a sigh, Tony headed to the kitchen where he saw Bucky cooking bacon and eggs, and mixing together a pancake batter. Tony almost smiled at the sight. Who would have thought that the Winter Soldier had a soft side? Tony sat down tiredly and was surprised when Bucky slid a mug of coffee over to him. Either way, Tony gave a grateful smile and watched as one by one, the Avengers made their way out of their rooms and to the kitchen, where they all took their seats. When Bucky was done cooking, he placed plates of bacon, toast, pancakes, eggs, and sausage on the table. Everyone immediately dug in, complementing Bucky on his cooking skills. 

“Alright, we have a schedule to follow now, so we need to stick to it. After breakfast we all have time to switch into work-out clothes before we make our way to training,” Natasha pointed out. Most of the Avengers groaned, they really didn’t want to go to training this early in the morning, but their schedule demanded that they do so, and they knew they’d get in trouble if they didn’t follow the schedule.

Soon enough, all of the Avengers were awkwardly standing in the training room, which took up an entire floor of the tower. 

“What if we do some sort of tournament style thing? Test our skills on each other,” Clint proposed an idea. There was a bit of muttering before everyone agreed.

“One thing, first. Banner, you can’t get angry. If you’re getting angry, call a Code Green. And Tony, as far as we know, you can’t do much without the suit, so if you can’t go on anymore call something. Code HotRod or Ego or something similar,” Natasha said, making sure that all of the Avengers would be safe.

“Okay. Now, who’s going to go first?” Tony asked.


	5. conformity and fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by someone, but I don't remember who, so I apologize if it seems like I was copying someone. I'm not, and their story greatly inspired this particular chapter and quite a bit of this book. 
> 
> Anyway, the Avengers follow their schedule, but then Fury does something dangerous. I wonder how this will turn out...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shouldn't have to tell you anymore, but Age of Ultron and Civil War never happened. This is probably the longest chapter. Wow, I'm posting the shortest and longest chapters in the same day. Please let me know what you think about the story so far in the comments, I'd love to hear your opinions and predictions!

The Avengers trained for three long hours in a tournament style. Bucky and Steve had faced off, Bucky won. Natasha and Clint faced off, Natasha won. Thor and Loki faced off, Thor won. Rhodey and Sam faced off, Rhodey won. Bruce and Tony faced off, Tony won. Bucky and Natasha then went against each other, Bucky coming out victorious. Rhodey and Tony won, and Tony came out victorious, which everyone was greatly surprised at. Tony and Bucky were the last two to face off, and Tony was nervous, everyone could see it, especially Bucky.

“Use your smarts,” Bucky whispered before he charged at Tony. Tony managed to dodge most of the attacks, keeping his pace slow enough that he wouldn’t tire easily, but fast enough that he could dodge everything that was thrown his way. Tony knew he couldn’t win by using force, so he did what Bucky said, he used his smarts. Tony had spent the time dodging Bucky trying to come up with a plan. Eventually, he decided to go for the legs, and then sit on Bucky’s chest. Hopefully, Tony’s weight would be enough to hold him down. Tony did as he planned, and he managed to hold Bucky down for five seconds, which made Tony the winner. Everyone was surprised. They could see Tony had potential, but he couldn’t exactly fight, he could only dodge. Bucky decided that he would spend two hours of the training time attempting to train Tony hand to hand combat in the following weeks. 

After training was over, they all finally had free time. Everyone went their separate ways, although none of them were alone. Bruce and Rhodey went down to the lab, Thor and Loki went to a room especially made for them to practice their powers, Clint and Natasha and Sam all went to have a meeting with Fury and Coulson, and Bucky and Steve went to the living room. Tony realized that he would be alone if he didn’t choose one of the groups to go with. Tony decided his best option was to go to the living room with Steve and Bucky. Tony sat in a far corner, away from the super soldiers so that they felt free to do as they wished and so he wasn’t crowding their space. Tony brough out his phone and started typing things on it, trying his best to ignore the fact that he felt completely alone in a tower that had over 80 floors and hundreds of people in it.

“Tony? Are you okay?” Bucky asked from right in front of him. Tony jumped, not realizing that he had zoned out and that Bucky had walked toward him. 

“Bucky?” Tony asked, slightly confused. Bucky gave a small smile before glancing back at Steve, who had a small scowl on his face. 

“I agreed to do all the meals today and so I have to go to the kitchen. Steve has to come and you should, too. I don’t want you getting in trouble,” Bucky mumbled as a quick explanation. Tony’s eyes widened. He didn’t realize Bucky was actually taking into consideration the bad things that could happen to Tony if he were left alone. 

“Oh. Thank you,” Tony whispered as he stood up and followed Bucky and Steve to the kitchen, where Bucky started to get out things to make sandwiches. He set them up in a buffet-like style as Steve and Tony watched, curious. When Bucky was done, he went and sat between Steve and Tony. 

“Tony . . . what happened? Why did you try to starve yourself?” Steve suddenly asked. Bucky glared at Steve. He had never been so blunt before, and he seemed angry. Tony sighed and he placed his head in his hands.

“It doesn’t really matter. No one cares, anyway. Everyone’s focused on themselves,” Tony mumbled. He knew in his heart that at least one person had to care for him, but his mind didn’t believe it. No one seemed to care when it was announced that Tony was on the brink of death. In fact, for a moment, everyone seemed relieved before realizing Tony was still with them. 

“Fine, we won’t push, but you can come talk to us if you need to,” Bucky offered, although Tony knew Steve greatly disagreed with what Bucky just said. Tony sighed and nodded, before noticing the Avengers start making their way to the kitchen. It was finally lunch time. Everyone took their seats after making their desired sandwiches, and they dug in. No one really talked, everyone wondering what they would do after lunch, when they had to hang out for three hours in the living room. 

“Does anyone have a suggestion for what to do?” Steve asked as everyone started to finish up. There was silence for a few moments before Tony hesitantly spoke up.

“We can sort of do an introductory thing. It’s been a while since we’ve all really talked and worked together like this. It could make us understand each other better,” Tony proposed his idea and held his breath, anxious about what the others would say.

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Steve said. 

“Well, let’s get started, then. I’ll go first, I guess,” Rhodey started, “My name is James Rhodes, people usually call me Rhodey. I worked for the army before the whole Avengers civil war thing happened. There was an accident, which caused me to become paralyzed from the waist down. Tony developed some mechanical legs for me, and I’ve been using those to get around. My superhero name is usually either War Machine or Iron Patriot. I prefer Iron Patriot,” Rhodey finished up. Clint was the next to stand up.

“I’m Clint Barton, former SHIELD agent. I like shooting arrows, but I don’t really have any super powers, except really good vision. I’m sort of going deaf in my right ear, though. My superhero name is Hawkeye,” Clint announced before sitting back down. There was some nervous shuffling before Natasha stood up.

“Natasha Romanoff, former SHIELD and ex-HYDRA, but that was only because of the Red Room. I managed to escape it. I guess I’m a master assassin, and I have skills in hand-to-hand combat and weaponry. I’m best known as the Black Widow, although I’m not often seen as a superhero,” Natasha finished and quickly sat down. Steve was the next one to stand up.

“My name is Steve Rogers, and I was born back in 1918. I fought in World War II, and I landed in the ice. I was there for 70 years before SHIELD found me. I had the Super Soldier Serum injected into me, and that’s how I became the way I am today. My superhero name is Captain America,” Steve spoke before sitting down. Bruce stood up.

“My name is Bruce Banner, and I’m a part of this team, I guess. I was experiment on with Gamma Radiation, which caused me to become the Hulk. The Hulk has his own mind, and most of the time, we battle for dominance. I’m also a scientists, but I work mostly with genetics and DNA,” Bruce explained before taking a seat. Loki was the next to stand up.

“I am Loki Laufeyson. I was born on Jotunheim, but was taken in by Odin of Asgard. I was raised as an Asgardian, and my heritage was hidden from me. I know magic, and I’m the god of tricks and mischief. I guess people just refer to me as Loki,” Loki finished his speech and sat down, his brother, Thor, standing up next.

“My name is Thor Odinson, the son of Odin or Asgard. I am heir to the throne, and I am god of thunder. I have Mjolnir, my trusty hammer. I love pop tarts. And I suppose people also just refer to me as Thor, or God of Thunder,” Thor finished and sat down. Sam was the next to stand.

“My name is Sam Wilson, and I’m ex-army. I left because my partner was killed, and I guess it sent me back a lot. Steve recruited me to help find Bucky, and that’s how I got back into the saving lives business. I’m also a psychologist. My superhero name is the Falcon, I suppose,” Sam finished and sat down. Bucky stood up, leaving Tony as the last person who would speak.

“My name is James Barnes, although most people know me as Bucky. I used to work for HYDRA as the Winter Soldier, although none of that was really in my control. I fought with Steve in the second world war, and now I’m here. People still refer to me as the Winter Soldier for my superhero name,” Bucky announced, not really going into much detail. Tony took a deep breath as he stood up, trying to keep a straight face. He couldn’t let the Avengers see his panic. 

“My name is Tony Stark, and I own Stark Industries. I used to make weapons, but then I was kidnapped, so I decided to stop that. I also became Iron Man around that time. Pepper broke up with me almost a year ago, and I haven’t seen any of you in the past three months,” Tony announced before sitting down, keeping his eyes trained on the floor. It was silent for a moment before Steve spoke up. 

“So we introduced ourselves. What should we do now?” Steve asked. It was silent for a moment. 

“We can do a trust exercise,” Natasha said, glancing around at the rest of the Avengers. “We can tell eachother our two biggest fears, and that’ll put some trust between us.” 

“Hello Avengers,” Fury’s voice suddenly entered the room. “We will be enacting Protocol 67, which relates to your little trust exercise,” Fury explained before they heard sudden static. 

“What’s protocol 67?” Rhodey asked, looking to Natasha and Clint. 

“He shows our worst fears.” Natasha muttered, a frown on her face. Tony’s eyes widened, and he already started coming up with ideas as to what everyone’s fears would be. Suddenly, there was the sound of children crying, and a woman screaming, and an image popped up of a woman and three children crying and begging for the torture to stop. Tony’s eyes immediately found Clint and he rushed to the man’s side. 

“Clint, they’re safe at home. When this is all over you can call them, and Laura will answer, and your kids will be happy to hear from you. They’re fine . . .” Tony kept mumbling until the sounds and images disappeared. Next, his gaze turned to Rhodey, who was staring wide eyed at an image of himself standing with thousands of dead civilians surrounding him. Tony rushed to him and stood in front of him, blocking Rhodey’s view. 

“Rhodey, you’re fine. You’re brave. You save millions of people everyday. The people love you because you actually save people without the collateral damage,” Tony whispered. When the images disappeared, Tony glanced around the room before he heard ballet music and a harsh voice. Tony rushed to Natasha and noticed she was already covering her ears and closing her eyes tightly. Tony covered her hands with his own and stood in front of her, blocking her vision in case she opened her eyes. When the sounds stopped, Tony pulled away and moved to Sam, knowing he was next. There was shouting and explosions, and all Tony could do was block Sam’s vision, because the man refused to cover his ears. When the noises were done, Tony stood up and looked around the room. Thor, Loki, Steve, Bucky, Bruce, and himself were the only ones left. Tony also noticed that each image lasted around 15 minutes, meaning they had already been dealing with this for an hour, and they had an hour and a half left. 

Tony heard a roar and immediately moved to Bruce, blocking his vision and forcefully covering his ears, they didn’t need a Code Green right now. Tony knew Bruce was afraid of losing control and the Hulk taking over and destroying everything. When the 15 minutes was finally over, Tony stood up and looked around the room. He realized that Thor would be next, followed by Loki, Steve, Bucky, and Tony would be last. 

Tony approached Thor and forced the god into a corner, forcing him to place Mjolnir beside him as he covered his ears. Tony stood in front of him to block his view, and the sounds of Jane Foster’s voice crying out made everyone in the room cringe. Everyone was glad that Thor hadn’t seen or heard what was happening around him, or else he might have broken down. Once that was over, Tony moved straight to Loki and forced the god to do the same as Thor had done. Tony looked behind him to see Thor’s dead body, surrounded by other bodies. It looked as if a war had happened. Tony swallowed, nervous. He didn’t know which of his fears would be shown. Tony moved to Steve who was already on the floor, Bucky next to him. Tomy blocked Steve’s view as Bucky covered his ears. Tony glanced behind him to see Bucky dead, and many other people dead around him. Tony turned back to Steve and immediately moved to cover Bucky’s vision. Steve covered Bucky’s ears, and Tony didn’t look behind him this time. He heard pained screams and flinched every time they got louder. About halfway through the 15 minutes, it went silent. Tony turned around, confused, and saw his and Steve’s bodies, mauled and beat. Tony noticed the bruises around their necks, and realized that Bucky was scared of killing Steve and Tony while in Winter Soldier mode. Tony ignored and went out a shaky breath when the images went away. Tony climbed on top of the table and waited for what he knew would come. 

Against one wall, it showed a city burning and Tony in his Iron Man suit trying to save it. Then, on the floor, Tony noticed the bodies of all of his friends. They were all dead and their bodies were heavily injured. Tony sucked in a breath, feeling the panic welling in his chest. Suddenly, water started to flow into the room, and Tony let out a cry, his eyes wide as he watched his friends’ bodies be covered in water. He didn’t realize that everyone had climbed on top of the table to avoid the water. Bucky moved in front of Tony, doing his best to block his vision. 

“Tony? Tony, you’re okay. You’re fine. We’re all here. None of us are dead,” Bucky muttered, hesitantly reaching to place his metal hand on Tony’s shoulder, knowing that Tony liked the metal arm the best. Tony cried out again when the water brushed at him. The table was submerged, and at least everyone was a little bit in the water. Bucky roughly pulled Tony up, knowing the man wouldn’t be able to do it on his own. Bucky noticed how the water seemed to raised fast, now at Tony’s knees. Bucky sighed picked up Tony, doing his best to keep Tony out of the water. It proved to be a struggle when the water managed to reach Bucky’s shoulders. Tony let out a cry as he slipped out of Bucky’s grip and was submerged under the water. Tony gasped and water flooded his lungs. Suddenly, the water started to rapidly drain, and Tony ended up on the table, his eyes closed as he coughed up water. Tony stayed on the table, shaking and shivering, not paying attention to anything that was going on around him. 

“Tony? Come on . . . you, Steve, and I are gonna go to the living room. Fury is giving us a few hours. He went too far this time,” Bucky mumbled, helping Tony down from the table. Bucky slowly led the shaking man to one of the couches. 

Tony took a breath. Why did Fury do that?


	6. therapy and stupidity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Civil War is explained, Tony decided to do something stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realize that the "Civil War" that I have been referring to isn't really well explained, so I added a part to this chapter where it's explained. If there's still confusion, let me know.

After a few hours of everyone resting, it was time for dinner, and Bucky once again was the one cooking with Tony and Steve watching him silently. After dinner, the Avengers made their way to the living room, where Fury said their psychologist would go. Dr. Sandra Cahier entered the room, a clipboard in one hand and a file in the other. She placed both things down, placing the clipboard on top of the file, not letting any of the Avengers see what it was. 

“Hello, Avengers. My name is Sasha Cahier, you can all call me Dr. Cahier. Fury had requested my assistance in assessing your mental states and helping you with any problems you have, as well as making you guys a team again,” Dr. Cahier explained. 

“Where do you work?” Tony asked, doing his best to put on his usual arrogant and egotistical mask. He didn’t trust her, and he wouldn’t trust her for a long time. 

“I work with SHIELD. I used to do field work, but my team and I got in an accident, and since then we’ve started working on Intel,” Dr. Cahier replied. Tony studied her as she answered before he saw the small twitch in her hand. Immediately, he realized it was a nervous tic. She was lying, and for that, Tony trusted her even less. 

“Oh. What happened to you and your team?” Tony asked, ignoring the glares everyone was sending him. He looked at her expectantly, and he noticed her nervous tic again. 

“We were infiltrating a HYDRA base when a stray bomb went off, our backs were to it and we all got shrapnel stuck in our spines. It was some advanced HYDRA tech or something,” Dr. Cahier explained. Tony froze. That was eerily similar to what happened to him, except he got struck in the chest, and his arc reactor was the only thing keeping him alive. Tomy frowned and curled into himself on the chair he sat at. Bucky glanced at him worriedly. He knew these questions weren’t to show how arrogant Tony was. Maybe Tony was onto something. He had noticed the tics, and he recognized the woman a little bit from his days as the Winter Soldier, but he couldn’t find the memory, meaning he didn’t know which side she belonged to. 

“Did you lose anyone?” Tony asked, watching her carefully. 

“No,” Tony noticed the tic, once again. She was lying straight to their faces. 

“Oh. Okay. We can continue on with the session,” Tony announced, waving everyone off and ignoring the glares most of the team was giving him. As Dr. Cahier spoke, Tony only half paid attention to what she was saying. He was more thinking about why she would lie. What did she have to hide? 

“Now, Avengers, Director Fury did express that he wanted me to talk about your little ‘civil war’ and Bucky and Loki joining the team,” Dr. Cahier announced. Everyone froze for a moment, and Tony was the first to start explaining, hoping he’d be able to explain it so that none of the sides seemed right nor wrong.

“It started when Steve started searching for Bucky after the fall of SHIELD. Steve, Sam, and Natasha were out a lot looking for Bucky. Clint was in and out of the tower. Banner and Thor were off on a trip to Asgard. Rhodey was getting used to the mechanical legs I made him to help with the paralyzation of his lower half. I was the only one who was constantly in the tower. Everyone would stop in once a while, besides Banner and Thor seeing as they were on a different planet, but we were separated,” Tony explained.

“So almost no one was at the tower, and you saw that as separation?” Dr. Cahier asked.

“Well, we weren’t communicating at all unless someone visited the tower, so yes, I saw that as separation,” Tony replied.

“Alright. Continue,” Dr. Cahier ordered.

“Steve, Sam, and Natasha eventually found Bucky, and they convinced him to come to the tower. Clint returned around that time, and Rhodey started staying full time. It was only a few weeks later when Thor and Banner came back with Loki in tow. I felt threatened with those two in my tower, so I guess I just got a bit defensive. Rhodey and Natasha both thought that Loki shouldn’t be in the tower, and Bruce and Thor thought that Bucky shouldn’t be in the tower. Sam and Clint ended up agreeing with Rhodey and Natasha that Loki shouldn’t be here. Steve thought that they both should be allowed to stay. I was the only one who thought that they should both leave, and so everyone turned on me,” Tony continued explaining.

“Okay. Why did you think they should both leave?” Dr. Cahier asked.

“Loki was responsible for destroying New York and trying to destroy Thor. Bucky was responsible for dozens of assassinations, and he was under the control of HYDRA, who’s to say he can’t be triggered again?” Tony replied. He tried his best to be honest, he didn’t want the lady to start suspecting him. He knew he could be giving her too much information, but he also knew she’d end up dead eventually.

“Alright. Please continue,” Dr. Cahier requested.

“There was a lot of arguing, and a few fistfights broke out. Loki and Bucky tended to avoid all of us around that time. Everyone was mad and frustrated at each other, and we no longer had the team bond we once had. In such a short time, we all turned against each other because we were fighting over which fugitive we were going to harbor. When I made my opinion clear, everyone suddenly became friends again and agreed that they could both stay, although nearly everyone turned on me,” Tony finished explaining, becoming quiet at the end. He didn’t want anyone to ask him about it.

“Okay. Thank you, Stark. Now, Bucky and Loki are obviously part of the Avengers now, but why? Why are they part of the Avengers?” Dr. Cahier asked, opening the discussion to the rest of the group.

“Bucky is a great asset. He has experience in weapons, hand-to-hand combat, stealth, and multiple different languages,” Steve spoke up for Bucky.

“Loki is good with magic and illusion, which could help us against an enemy. Loki is also trying to make things right so that he can be forgiven and live in peace,” Thor explained on Loki’s behalf.

“Very well. Those aren’t true reasons, but this brings up a topic of discussion…” Dr. Cahier continued speaking for a long time until Tony realized he didn’t trust her at all, and he would have to have a private session with her. He absolutely could not have that, she’d catch on within minutes that he didn’t trust her. Tony decided that he needed to find a way to go to his lab, and that’s just what he did.

“Dr. Cahier, I have something I want to show everyone. Can I go get it from the lab? It’s something for SHIELD,” Tony asked, hoping this would convince her to let him go. She nodded and he stood up and left, hurriedly making his way down to the lab. Once he arrived, he quickly wrote a note and slipped it into his hoodie pocket. He got out the serum Bruce had created to relieve stress but actually just slows your heartbeat down to once a minute, and filled a vial with it. 

“JARVIS, I want you to start running background checks on Sasha Cahier. Search everyone. Face recognition, voice recognition, etcetera. When I go down, I want you to alert everyone else. Please let Bucky know there is a note in my pocket in private. Understood?” Tony asked. 

“Sir, if I may, what do you plan to do?” JARVIS asked, worried about his creator. 

“I’m going to expose Sasha Cahier, but if I’m going to do that, I need to die for a little bit,” Tony replied before sticking the needle into his arm and pushing down, allowing the serum to enter his bloodstream. He quickly threw the vial into a biohazard bin and fell, his heartbeat slowing down drastically. The last thing he heard was feet stomping down the stairs and then everything went black. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

When Tony asked to go down to the lab, Bucky was suspicious. He knew Tony could tell something was wrong, he could see it in his eyes. He also knew that Tony was uncomfortable around people he didn’t trust, and Dr. Cahier was someone Tony definitely didn’t trust. So, when JARVIS alerted everyone that Tony had collapsed in the lab, Bucky wasn’t all that surprised. Tony must have done something to prevent anything else from happening. 

Bucky and everyone else rushed down the stairs to the lab only to find Tony laying on the floor, practically lifeless. Bruce rushed to Tony’s side and felt for a pulse. When he didn’t find one, he panicked. 

“There’s not a pulse,” Bruce announced. He immediately set to work, trying to revive Tony, only for nothing to work. Bucky felt his phone vibrate and he pulled it out to see a text from JARVIS. 

JARVIS: There is a note in Sir’s pocket. 

“Alright, everyone out. We’ll let Banner take care of this,” Dr. Cahier said, walking out of the lab with everyone following her. There was no real reaction from anyone. Bucky stayed behind and approached Bruce and Tony. He crouched down and reached into Tony’s pocket, grabbing the note. He opened it and read. 

Hey Bucky. I don’t trust Dr. Cahier, so I had JARVIS start a search on her. I think you saw it, too. Her hand kept twitching. She was lying straight to our faces. Tell Bruce I took his stress thing, he’ll know what happened. I’m not dead. Please keep an eye on Cahier. I trust you. I know you’ll do anything to protect Steve.   
~ Tony

Bucky let out a sigh and told Bruce about the stress stuff. Bruce also let out a sigh of relief, glad his friend wasn’t dead. 

“They didn't even have a reaction,” Bucky muttered. Bruce nodded and picked Tony up, placing him on one of the lab tables. Bucky and Bruce left Tony and made their way back up to the living room. They entered and everyone immediately looked at them. 

“He’s alive,” Bruce announced, not giving an explanation as he and Bucky sat away from everyone else. They couldn’t understand how none of them had a real reaction to Tony’s near-death. Bucky partially noticed the absence of Dr. Cahier, and he was happy about that. He didn't want her around. 

“Why didn't any of you react?” Bruce asked, standing up and making his way to the wall of windows that overlooked the city. 

“Well… Tony wouldn’t care about us…” Clint mumbled, glaring down at the floor. Natasha sat next to him and bit her lip, not wanting to say anything. 

“That’s a lie. Who helped you all when our fears were shown?! Tony fucking Stark!” Bucky shouted, fed up with how the Avengers were treating their own teammate. Everyone was silent for a moment, just now realizing that Tony was the one who helped all of them, yet no one helped him.

“JARVIS, does Tony care for us?” Thor asked the AI. 

“Yes. Would you like proof?” JARVIS asked.

“Yes,” Clint spoke before anyone else had the chance.

“Sir has created codes so he would be alerted if any of you were feeling sad or in pain. He created Code Green for Dr. Banner, Code Winter for Mr. Barnes, Code Spangles for Mr. Rogers, Code Red for Ms. Romanoff, Code Reindeer for Mr. Laufeyson, Code Poptart for Mr. Odinson, Code Patriot for Mr. Rhodes, Code Arrow for Mr. Barton, and Code Birdsuit for Mr. Wilson,” JARVIS explained.

“These codes are meant to alert him if we are feeling down in the dumps?” Sam asked, ignoring that the code for himself was Birdsuit.

“Precisely. He also has things set up for these particular codes, and he has taken precautions for each of you in certain areas of the building,” JARVIS replied. Everyone sat, taking in the new information. 

“When did he make these codes?” Steve asked, curious as to how long those had been in place for. 

“He made these after the Civil War, while everyone was “down in the dumps” as Mr. Wilson had said. He would leave things for you, and he had me put on certain things or block certain things from you guys to be happier,” JARVIS answered. Everyone sat with a frown on their faces. They had never realized how when they were sad, random things popped up to cheer them up. They didn’t understand.

“Oh. Okay. Thank you, JARVIS,” Rhodey spoke, turning to everyone in the room. He glanced at everyone’s faces, seeing regret and sadness on most of them.

“Where are we gonna go from here? Tony thinks we all hate him?” Clint questioned, wondering what exactly the Avengers would do to fix their team. Everyone shrugged, none of them having any idea what they should do from this point out.

“We could talk to Dr. Cahier?” Thor suggested.

“NO!” Bucky shouted, panicked. They couldn’t reveal anything to that lady yet.

“Barnes? You seem panicked. Why shouldn’t we say anything?” Sam asked as everyone looked to Bucky in surprise.

“Tony noticed that she was lying to us, that’s why he kept questioning her. Her hand twitched, and the story about the bomb shrapnel was a lie. She just came up with something she already knew. Unfortunately for her, that happened to be very close to Tony’s near-death experience. He didn’t want to have a private session with her, I think, so he used Bruce’s stress thing to slow his heart down to one beat a minute. He’s having JARVIS search for information on her,” Bucky explained to everyone. Even Bruce looked shocked, and Natasha looked angry that she hadn’t caught on to the twitch as Bucky and Tony had.

“How did Tony catch that?” Natasha asked, wondering how someone as untrained as Tony could catch something as subtle as a small twitch of the hand.

“I don’t know,” Bucky replied.

“All we can do now is wait until Tony wakes up,” Bruce announced, sending the entire room into silence.


	7. the last day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odd title, don't you think? Maybe it's a clue. During this chapter, you get some quality Tony, Bucky, and Steve time, but Steve and Bucky don't exactly understand what's happening with Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Tell me what you think of the book so far, and please feel free to give suggestions of where the story should go or say any predictions you may have for the next few chapters.

Tony’s eyes slowly opened, and he felt a dull pain in his head. Once he realized he was in the lab, he quickly sat up and stumbled over to his desk.

“JARVIS, pull up anything you could find on Sasha Cahier,” Tony ordered, watching as tab upon tab showed up.

“Sir, her name is not Sasha Cahier. It is actually Aubree Jade,” JARVIS announced. Tony nodded, motioning for JARVIS to continue on. “Turns out she has quite a bit of combat experience, and she’s still a field agent, just not for SHIELD,” 

“For who, then?” Tony asked.

“HYDRA. It seems like her mission was to retrieve you and Mr. Barnes,” JARVIS explained.

“Why me?”

“It seems they wanted to make you and Mr. Barnes a team. You would be the brains, Mr. Barnes would be the brawn,”

“Were they planning to experiment on me?”

“I’m not exactly sure, Sir. It seems the idea had crossed their minds, and their in the process of making a serum, but they’re not exactly sure what exactly they want to do with you, yet. They just know they want you.”

“What am I supposed to do about this, JARVIS?”

“Whatever you see fit, Sir.”

“JARVIS, I think it’s time we head on our own mission. We start tomorrow.” Tony announced before proceeding to leave the lab, heading to his room. He grabbed a small chip and inserted it into a small slot on the side of his arc reactor that no one could see. He had figured out how to connect JARVIS to his mind a long time ago, but it was a weird sensation so Tony decided he’d only use it when he needed to, and this was a point where he needed it.

“JARVIS? Can you hear me?” Tony asked into his mind.

“Yes, Sir.” JARVIS replied. Tony nodded and stood up from his bed, making his way to the kitchen where he grabbed an apple and started eating it. He looked at the time and realized everyone else would be in training right now. He made his way to the elevator and had JARVIS bring him to the training floor. When the elevator doors opened and Tony stepped out, all activity stopped as everyone in the room stared at him in shock.

“You weren’t supposed to be awake for another three days,” Bruce was the first to speak, moving towards Tony. Tony shrugged and smiled at Bruce. Everyone soon crowded around him, asking him questions and such. Tony was honestly surprised. He didn’t expect everyone to care this much. Honestly, he didn’t even think anyone actually cared about him.

“So, what are you guys doing?” Tony asked, glancing at all of the Avengers.

“We were training. You have to start your proper training soon,” Bucky replied.

“Proper training?” Tony asked.

“Yeah. I’m going to train you properly so you can defend yourself without the suit, even if you might prefer the suit,” Bucky explained. Tony nodded and moved into the room.

“Don’t stop because of me. Continue.” Tony ordered as he sat down in a corner, watching as everyone got back to training. Steve sat beside him seeing as he was the only one currently without a partner right now due to Tony’s state.

“You know, Bucky’s grown to like you,” Steve mumbled, watching his boyfriend fight Natasha. Tony followed his vision and gave a slight frown.

“That can’t be true. Besides, you guys are dating. He only has eyes for you,” Tony replied, his mind drifting off to Pepper. He was surprised he didn’t have a panic attack yet with how much he was thinking about Pepper, the team hating him, and his capture back before he became Iron Man.

“He doesn’t only have eyes for me. Not anymore. We may be dating, but Bucky’s open to almost anything. He likes you, Stark,” Steve tried to convince Tony that Bucky did like him and wanted there to be something between them.

“Even if that’s the case, I’m not going to get my hopes up. He has you and people always end up leaving me, anyway,” Tony mumbled, thinking about his parents and Pepper. Steve quieted down, thinking about what Tony had said. Tony Stark was a lot more broken than any of the Avengers realized, and Steve suddenly saw why Bucky was so interested in Tony. Tony reminded Bucky of himself, a guy unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do in the world, but going with whatever was thrown at him. Steve suddenly saw all of Tony’s positives, and how much Stark had actually done for the group ever since that first battle in New York with Loki and the aliens.

“Steve, come and spar with me!” Natasha called. Steve looked up and saw Bucky making his way over to Tony. Bucky hesitantly placed himself beside the genius, and stayed silent for a moment.

“What did you and Steve talk about?” Bucky asked, worried it had been something about him. 

“Nothing important. How long was I out?” Tony asked.

“Two days. Fury has put the therapy sessions on hold until you’re officially better,” Bucky mumbled, glancing at everyone else.

“Your doing, I suppose?” Tony asked.

“Yeah. I saw the same thing you saw, Tony. She was lying to us,” Bucky murmured. Tony nodded and the two were plunged into silence. At first, Tony though it’d be awkward, but it turned out to be rather comforting. 

“Sir, I suggest we confront Mrs. Jade soon,” JARVIS spoke into Tony’s mind. Tony gave a slight nod and saw everyone cleaning up, getting ready to head up to the main floor so that they could get a start on lunch. Apparently it was Bruce’s turn to handle meals today. 

“Do you want to come watch a movie with Steve and I?” Bucky asked as Steve approached the two. Tony glanced at Steve, who gave a slight nod. After the approval from Steve, Tony nodded and allowed the two to lead them to their floor. Steve went into their kitchen to get snacks, and Bucky set up the couch and movie. Tony stood in the doorway awkwardly, watching the two super soldiers. Steve sat on one end of the couch, and Bucky sat on the other. The two motioned for Tony to sit between them. Tony did as asked but pulled his knees up to his chin, trying to make himself seem as small as possible. 

“What movie are we watching?” Steve asked.

“Not sure. Something that Wilson suggested we watch,” Bucky mumbled, his eyes stuck on the screen. Tony smiled a bit, knowing that it would be some type of action movie or a movie about war. As the movie went on, Tony kept shifting positions, uncomfortable with the way he was sitting. Bucky and Steve seemed to notice. Bucky carefully pulled Tony down so his head was on his lap, and Steve pulled Tony’s legs to drape over his own. Tony gave a small smile as Steve placed a blanket over him.

“Sir, I really do suggest we start with our mission soon,” JARVIS mumbled into Tony’s head.

“Tomorrow, JARVIS. Just please let me have this moment before everything is messed up,” 

With that, Tony started to drift off, exhausted. By the time the movie was over and it was time for lunch, Steve and Bucky didn’t want to wake Tony up. They exchanged glances and jumped slightly when JARVIS spoke.

“You three have been excused from lunch and the time up until dinner due to Sir’s condition,” JARVIS spoke quietly, before turning on another movie for them and dimming the lights more. Steve and Bucky smiled at each other before they both settled down, reaching to hold each other’s hands.

That moment was complete bliss, although neither of them admitted that this is when they realized what they were missing in their lives. They were missing Tony. And having him laid out across their laps like that, they felt insanely protective and as if Tony was their responsibility. 

Steve and Bucky both felt like Tony belonged with them.


	8. hydra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... Tony puts his plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Comment below and tell me what you think!

When Tony woke up, he saw Steve and Bucky both asleep, their heads leaned against the back of the couch. Tony looked at the time and saw there was only about 20 minutes until dinner started. Tony felt relieved that he and the two super soldiers had been pardoned from the days activities, that was the best sleep Tony had got in years.

“JARVIS, please contact Dr. Cahier and tell her I’d like to see her, privately, without anyone knowing,”

“Yes, Sir.”

Tony cautiously got up, trying not to wake the super soldiers. Unfortunately, both were light sleepers and they woke up immediately after Tony’s weight was lifted off of their legs. Steve and Bucky both turned their gazes to Tony, who had gotten up and started cleaning up the mess around the living room.

“Tony? What are you doing?” Steve asked, his voice rough from sleep. Tony glanced up as he continued picking up trash, making his way to the kitchen to dispose of it.

“Tony, there’s no need for you to clean,” Bucky tried to reason with the man. Tony shrugged and picked up a few bowls, putting them in the sink for Steve and Bucky to clean later. He then picked up the blanket that had fallen to the ground and placed it back on the couch, along with a few pillows.

“Do you guys like animals? I’ve always wanted a dog,” Tony mumbled, doing his best to fight off the panic attack he knew was coming. Steve and Bucky exchanged looks as Tony continued hurriedly rushing around.

“I like all animals. Mostly anything of the feline of canine family,” Bucky responded.

“I like dogs,” Steve replied.

“If we were to get a dog, what breed would you guys want?” Tony asked, now pacing the living room. The fact that Tony said “we” didn’t slip past Bucky’s and Steve’s observation, but they kept silent about it.

“I’ve always liked Caucasian Shepherd Dogs or Siberian Huskies,” Bucky spoke.

“I like Akita Dogs and Australian Shepherds,” Steve announced.

“Oh… the Caucasian Shepherd Dogs are good for protection. Australian Shepherds are beautiful. When all of this is over, can we get pets?” Tony asked, not thinking about what he was saying.

“Sure thing, Tony. How many?” Steve asked as he and Bucky slowly started moving towards Tony, who had stopped in the middle of the living room.

“We’ll get an Australian shepherd and a calico cat. Bucky can have his cat, and we can all have our dog. Or maybe we can get two dogs? No. We want our dog to feel special…” Tony trailed off, staring at the ground.

“Of course we do. Do you want it to be male or female?” Bucky asked, slowly approaching Tony’s right side.

“Male. They’re more protective,” Tony mumbled.

“Okay. What age do you want it to be when we get it?” Steve asked, approaching Tony’s left side.

“Puppy. I want to be able to watch it grow,” Tony mumbled, his eyes unfocused. Slowly, Steve and Bucky helped lower Tony to the ground, where he immediately started shaking and rocking.

“Tony, it’s okay. Steve and I are here, we’re not going to let anything happen to you,” Bucky mumbled, carefully wrapping Tony in a hug.

“Bucky’s right. You’re our friend. We would never let anyone hurt you,” Steve agreed, tracing patterns on one of Tony’s hands with one of his hands, and using the other to lightly brush through Tony’s messy hair. 

Once the panic attack had passed, Tony let out a sigh and went to stand up, the two super soldiers immediately following him, almost like bodyguards. They made their way to the kitchen on the main floor, where dinner would be served. Tony suddenly realized this may very well be the last time he saw any of his friends. This may be the last time they’d all have a dinner together. Tony took a deep breath and sat to the left of Bucky, Steve sitting to the right of him, and Bruce sitting to the left of Tony.

The group sat over dinner, all talking excitedly, while Tony sat silently, taking in everyone’s features. Clint had Laura and his kids, Natasha and Banner were together, Loki had surprisingly found a girlfriend, who happened to be a Goddess from the Greek legends, Thor had Jane, Bucky and Steve were together, Sam had a girlfriend who he was planning on proposing to, Rhodey had his wife and kids, and Tony was alone. He had Pepper at one point, but she has been gone from his life for a long time. The only time he saw her was if it was on company business. 

“Sir, there is someone requesting your presence. Fury has allowed that you go see this person alone,” JARVIS spoke, startling everyone. Tony took a deep breath and stood up.

“Send them to my office, I’ll be there in a minute,” Tony ordered. He sent a small, sad smile toward everyone. He would miss them, and they would probably be the only reason he’d hold on and continue to live.

“Goodbye everyone.” Tony mumbled, making eye contact with Bucky for one moment before fleeing to his office, where Aubree Jade sat waiting. Tony entered his office quietly, closing and locking the door behind him.

“Hello, Mr. Stark. Is there something I can do for you?” Jade asked, tilting her head slightly to make herself seem innocent.

“Aubree Jade, you should know that I hate when people lie to me,” Tony spoke, going to stand on his side of the desk.

“Ah, so you’ve figured me out, have you?” Jade asked, smirking at Tony.

“Yes, and I know you’re after Barnes and myself. I’ll make a trade. You can take me, do whatever you want with me, but you leave Barnes alone, and you don’t come after him anymore. If you don’t follow these rules, every single person in HYDRA will be killed by myself,” Tony threatened. Jade froze before nodding.

“Very well, Mr. Stark. We leave now,” Jade announced, standing up and motioning for Tony to follow her. Tony did so, knowing he wouldn’t run into anyone.

“Oh, one more thing. You are to never step foot in this building every again,” Tony whispered. Jade nodded, smirking.

“We have what we want. What reason would I have for continuing this charade?” Jade asked as she led Tony out of the building and into a black bullet-proof SUV with tinted windows. Tony shrugged and climbed in, closing his eyes as he rested his head back.

“Trust me, Jade, I will know if you don’t abide by my rules. I expect you to follow them. If you don’t, I will put up one hell of a fight against whatever it is HYDRA has planned for me,” Tony spoke.

“That’s understood, Mr. Stark. Don’t worry, we will abide by your rules.” Jade responded.

Tony gave a sad smile before it fell. That might have been the last time he would smile in a long time.


	9. tony's gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... everyone finds out Tony disappeared. Also, Tony's first day at HYDRA is quite interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for reading! Feel free to comment, ask questions, make suggestions, predict what's coming next, I do my best to answer all comments.

“Tony’s been gone for over an hour now, where is he?” Bucky asked, glancing towards the elevator worriedly. 

“Mr. Stark has asked me to inform you that he won’t be coming back for a very long time,” JARVIS spoke. Bucky froze. What did JARVIS mean by that.

“JARVIS, what do you mean by that?” Steve asked, noticing Bucky’s unease.

“Mr. Stark has willingly left with Aubree Jade, known to you as Sasha Cahier, a HYDRA agent,” JARVIS explained.

“Why?!” Bucky shouted, worried.

“She was after you, so he sacrificed himself to save you,” JARVIS replied. Bucky growled before running to Tony’s office, seeing no signs of a struggle. Bucky ran to the meeting room and looked at the screen on the wall.

“JARVIS, please contact Fury,” Bucky asked. He waited a few moments before Fury’s face appeared on the screen.

“Barnes, how can I help you?” Fury asked.

“Stark was taken by HYDRA,” Bucky announced. Fury froze, his one eye widening. 

“We’ll get teams searching for him right away, but I want you and the rest of the Avengers ready to go retrieve him. You guys can also start your own search,” Fury ordered. Bucky nodded and the screen went black. He made his way to the living room, where all of the Avengers sat silently, not sure how they should be reacting.

“Fury wants us on standby for when they find Tony, he also wants us looking for him, too,” Bucky explained to the rest of the Avengers. They all nodded hesitantly, not exactly sure where they would go from here. Tony was always the one searching for people, not any of them.

“JARVIS, can you help us?” Natasha asked the AI. There was a moment of silence where everyone waited, holding their breath.

“Mr. Stark has requested that his location not be revealed until he is on the verge of death. The best I can do is allow you communication with him,” JARVIS explained. Everyone froze, eyes widening. Tony didn’t want to be found, so he wouldn’t be. 

“How will we be able to communicate with him?” Clint asked, curious as to how they’d talk to someone who doesn’t want to be found, and who was taken by HYDRA.

“Mr. Stark has created technology that allows me to talk to him through his mind. I can relay any messages he wants to you, although it won’t be much. My presence in his mind makes him uncomfortable, but he knew he would need it,” JARVIS explained. Everyone was quiet, taking in the new information.

“How long has he had this technology?” Bruce eventually asked, curious.

“He’s had this technology for a few years now, but he wanted it kept a secret because of how dangerous it could be, and because it can only work with an arc reactor,” JARVIS explained. The Avengers all nodded, silent.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Tony waltzed into the HYDRA base, smiling at any agents who passed him. He followed behind Jade, who was leading him toward a room that seemed to be several hundred feet below the first floor of the building the HYDRA base was held in.

“We’re going to insert a serum into your bloodstream, and hopefully this will improve your mind in some way,” Jade announced, leading Tony into a room where there was a huge chair. Tony recognized it as the chair they used to wipe Bucky’s memories. Tony kept his face straight as he calmly sat in it, allowing them to strap him in and insert a few needles into his arms. They then gave him a piece of cloth to bite on before they went to their control boards. 

“We’re going straight to 100%, Stark. You’ll feel immense pain, and some things might be rearranged,” one of the people explained before Tony suddenly screamed out, feeling the immense pain they were talking about. Tony started thrashing around, biting down on the cloth hard. Tony continued screaming for what seemed like hours until he couldn’t anymore, and then his thrashing slowly died down, too. He no longer had the strength to do anything, although he still felt like he was continuously getting stabbed and burned in multiple places.

“The first dose is done, we will be giving the second dose same time tomorrow. One of our doctors will come visit you later today to check on how you’re doing. Agent Jade is your handler. Respect her,” one of the men announced as he unstrapped Tony, helping the man stand up. Tony soon found his balance and quietly followed Jade to where he’d be staying. 

“This is where you’ll be staying. If the Soldier told you any stories, you may recognize it,” Jade mumbled before shoving Tony into what could only be described as a cell. There was a camera in the top left corner, a bed against the right wall, a chair in the the right corner of the room, and a sink and toilet hidden in the left corner under the camera. Tony noticed a few Russian words carved into the wall, and realized why Jade said he may recognize it. Bucky had talked about his cell once, talked about he carved three words into the wall. They said Torture, Death, and Freedom, in that order. 

Tony sat on the bed, still keeping up his facade as his gaze found the single window letting light into the room. Tony didn’t know how Bucky had lived in these conditions for over 70 years. Not 70 years, Tony corrected himself, Bucky was in cryo-sleep for more than half his time with HYDRA. He was only let out for missions, and he would only be allowed to stay out if they had multiple missions for him at once. 

“Barnes, how did you deal with this?” Tony mumbled to himself, allowing himself to fall back onto the hard bed. Tony wanted to get out, but that was currently not allowed. He had to gain the trust of HYDRA, even if that meant going through their experiments without complaint. Even if it meant going through training or whatever else it was HYDRA had planned for him. 

Tony wasn’t doing this for himself. He was doing it so Bucky didn’t have to, and so that the Avengers could get what they wanted, him dead. Tony slowly closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep. He hadn’t slept at all the night before due to the plane ride they had gone on, which he now realized was a plane ride to Russia. 

It was a few hours when Tony was startled awake by the metal door slamming against the concrete wall.

“Hello, Mr. Stark. I am Dr. Zynda, and I will be overseeing the experiment and how it takes effect on you,” Dr. Zynda explained to Tony, his glassy blue eyes carefully watching Tony.

“Oh. Hello, Doctor,” Tony mumbled groggily, “I’m perfectly fine. Just woke up from a nap. I don’t feel any different, yet.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Hopefully tomorrow’s dose will bring more,” Dr. Zynda mumbled, nodding and turning to leave the room.

“By the way, Stark, Jade will be collecting you soon to begin your training,” and with that, the door slammed shut, locking Tony in his cell once again. 

“Okay, Stark, Bucky was able to do this, you can too…” Tony mumbled to himself.

“But Bucky was already a soldier, and he already had a serum running through him by then…” Tony countered himself.

“I’m going to die…”


	10. message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HYDRA manages to contact the Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Let me know what you think!

It had been three weeks since Tony had gone with HYDRA, and the Avengers weren’t doing so well. All they ever did was wait in the living room, waiting for news of where he could possibly be. Each Avenger was fighting their own internal battles, each blaming themself for Tony leaving.

“Steve, he’s been gone for three weeks,” Bucky mumbled. Steve nodded from his spot next to Bucky.

“We need to figure out something to do. We can’t just sit here doing nothing.” Natasha jumped up, a newly sparked fire in her eyes. Everyone turned their gazes to her, curious as to what she was getting at.

“We understand that, Nat, but we don’t know where he is, and we won’t be able to find him,” Clint spoke up, standing to try to pull Natasha back onto the couch.

“No. Listen, we’ve all treated him like crap with the exception of Barnes. We all ignored him, blamed him for something that was everyone’s fault. He was hesitant of letting Loki and Barnes on the team, which is understandable. Yet, when that war ended, we all looked for someone to blame, and we ended up turning on Tony, because he was the third party, the only one who was against both Loki and Barnes joining the team,” Natasha started.

“And then Pepper broke up with him because she didn’t want to get caught up in this feud, and she had been cheating on him, anyway. Tony was alone for all those months,” Rhodey spoke, leaning back in the couch, realizing how much Tony has gone through.

“And he has his nightmares, which only go away when he sleeps in the same bed with someone. Oh god, he’s gone through so much in the past year, and none of us noticed. We even ignored his birthday, Christmas, and other holidays. He hasn’t held a party in that time, either…” Bruce trailed off, realizing how bad Tony really was. 

“He was alone, and no one was there to help him. He thinks we all hate him,” Sam realized. Everyone exchanged glances.

“Sorry to interrupt, but there is a video message,” JARVIS spoke up.

“From who, JARVIS?” Steve asked. There was a long moment of silence with no answer.

“JARVIS, who is the message from?” Bucky asked, more forcefully than Steve had.

“HYDRA.” JARVIS replied.

“Play the message, JARVIS,” Rhodey ordered. A glass screen came down from the ceiling, and the message started playing. They all saw the woman who was supposed to be their therapist standing in front of the camera, a chair with someone in it with a bag over their head in the background. 

“Hello, Avengers. I’m sure you all recognize me as Sasha Cahier. That was a lie, although I think you’ve all figured that out by now. My name is Aubree Jade, and I’m an agent of HYDRA. Tony Stark came with me to a HYDRA base willingly three weeks ago, and since then, we’ve started experimenting on him. He’s smarter, and he has a faster reaction time, which we’re proud about. But the thing is, he still remembers all of you, and he still has those horrid nightmares. Unfortunately, he knows that we’re trying to erase his memories, so he fights against us. He’s already killed ten of our agents. So… we’ve resorted to torturing him. He screamed out for our dear soldier last time, so we thought we’d give him what he wants,” Jade spoke. She moved away from the camera, and behind the chair. She quickly pulled the bag off of the person, revealing a bruised and unconscious Tony Stark. Most of the Avengers gasped, Bruce tearing his gaze away, unable to look at Tony. 

Jade slapped him to wake him up. Slowly, Tony came to his senses, and he immediately noticed the camera. He started struggling against his restraints, trying to break free.

“No. You’re not sending this video to them,” Tony growled, trying to fight Jade. Jade gave a wicked laugh.

“Tony, this is live. Everything that’s happening right now, they’re seeing it as it happens. I wonder how they all feel right about now?” Jade asked, smirking at the camera as she grabbed a knife out of her pocket, sliding it across Tony’s face.

“They don’t care. It won’t affect them. Just stop, they don’t want to waste their time on this,” Tony shrugged, trying to keep his face clear of any emotion, although Bucky could clearly see the fear in his eyes.

“Don’t lie to me, Stark,” Jade growled, bring back the hand with the knife in it and bringing it down to slap Tony, leaving a deep cut on his left cheek. Tony let out a grunt, shaking his head a bit.

“I’m not lying,” Tony mumbled.

“Oh, but you are. Those soldiers? They love you, Stark,” Jade laughed and slapped Tony a few more times, leaving multiple cuts and bruises on Tony’s cheek. She just barely missed his eye a couple times.

“You’ll never get what you want,” Tony hissed, his cheek swelling up.

“Ah, ah, ah, Tony. You’re not allowed to give hints,” Jade laughed, kicking Tony in the chest, causing him and the chair to fall against the ground.

“I’m not. I’m just telling you the truth,” Tony replied, smiling up at Jade. Her smile fell and she brought her foot back, swinging as hard as she could into Tony’s ribs. She did this a few more times, Tony trying his best to keep in his pained cries.

Bucky watched on, eyes wide. What was Tony talking about? Why were they beating him like this? It can’t be because he wouldn’t let them erase his memory, it had to be something else. They could easily force him into that chair, or put him in it while he was sleeping. Bucky then noticed that no matter what, Tony kept tapping. Bucky started to realize that Tony was using morse code to get a message to them.

R-U-S-S-I-A   
D-O   
N-O-T   
C-O-M-E   
F-O-R   
M-E   
Y-E-T   
W-A-I-T   
U-N-T-I-L   
J-A-R-V-I-S   
G-I-V-E-S   
T-H-E   
S-I-G-N-A-L   
I   
M-A-Y   
N-O-T   
B-E   
T-H-E   
S-A-M-E   
A-S   
I   
O-N-C-E   
W-A-S

“He’s typing a message. He said ‘Russia. Do not come for me yet. Wait until JARVIS gives the signal. I may not the same I once was.’ He’s probably in the same place where they kept me,” Bucky announced. Everyone nodded, although their attention was still glued to the screen, where Tony was still getting tortured. Every time he was hit, each of them flinched. Tony was the only one who wasn’t trained to withstand this, yet this wasn’t his first time being kidnapped and tortured. Tony also always managed to hold out until someone got him, but this time, he had something different in mind, and no one knew exactly what he was thinking.


	11. finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh... Tony sends a message to Bucky saying that the Avengers can go and rescue him. Well, JARVIS sends the message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! Sorry I haven't updated in so long. But, I just saw Black Panther and cAN I JUST SAY IT'S GREAT!!! Anyway, I'll be updating twice a week. Thanks for reading!

Tony watched as HYDRA agents entered his cell. They were up to something, yet Tony didn’t know what. It had been over two months since he’s been with HYDRA, and he’s lost the will to speak. Instead, he works silently, which has started to slightly creep out the HYDRA agents. Whenever they asked him a question, he’d just stare at them blankly while his head tilted slightly. 

“Stark, time to get to work,” one of the agents announced. Tony stared at them blankly, not making a move. The agents all exchanged nervous looks before one of them pulled Tony off of the bed. He followed behind them quietly, taking note of how they surrounded him on all sides. Usually, they’d just be in front and back of him, but he must’ve made them uneasy or something similar to that. 

“What seems to be the problem, boys?” Jade asked as she approached Tony’s desk, where there were multiple guards surrounding him.

“The asset seems to have lost it’s ability to speak,” one of the agents watching him spoke, gesturing in Tony’s direction. Jade nodded, watching Tony closely as he took in the information on the computer screen.

“Any new changes involving the serum?” Jade asked.

“None that we know of. Sorry, ma’am,” the agent replied, watching Jade carefully. In the time Tony had spent at the HYDRA base, he had learned that Jade was infamous for her short temper. When she was angry, she would lash out, not caring who got injured or killed. Tony compared her to the Hulk in his mind, although he knew Hulk was much better at managing his anger than Jade was, even if Hulk was manifested out of anger.

“Tony, why aren’t you talking?” Jade asked sweetly, looking at Tony for a few moments. Tony stared straight back at her, not saying a word, not even moving a muscle.

“So he’s gone mute. We can still use him. We’ll beat him into talking later,” Jade announced as she left the guards and Tony alone. Tony continued doing what he was doing, ignoring the glares his guards were giving him.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but I’m sending for the Avengers. You need to get out of here before they do anymore damage to you,” JARVIS spoke into Tony’s mind. He gave a slight nod, giving the AI permission to get a rescue mission started to save Tony. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

“Mr. Barnes, Tony has asked that you and the rest of the Avengers start organizing a rescue party for Mr. Stark,” JARVIS spoke to Bucky, who was quietly sitting in the room he shared with Steve. Steve was currently preparing a meal for everyone, and the schedule had been put off until Tony had been found. 

“Thank you, JARVIS. They’re keeping him in my cell, aren’t they?” Bucky asked, allowing himself to fall back onto the bed. There was silence for a moment.

“Yes. Mr. Barnes, I must request that you hurry. I am not sure how much longer Mr. Stark can last,” JARVIS replied. Bucky nodded slightly, trying to imagine what Tony was going through. Did they manage to get him into the machine that would wipe his memories? Bucky hoped not. If Tony Stark didn’t have his memories, Bucky didn’t know what would happen to the Avengers. Even if no one would admit it, Tony held the Avengers together.

“JARVIS… how long has Tony been gone?” Bucky distractedly asked. He was trying to remember exactly where the HYDRA base he was kept at was. 

“Mr. Stark has been with HYDRA for just over two months,” JARVIS replied. Bucky nodded and stood up, making his way out of his room and to the elevator. He made his way to the main floor, where almost all of the Avengers were already eating. This had become some sort of tradition. No matter what, they all found time to eat all three meals together, although breakfast and lunch were each a little later than the schedule said. 

“There’s some news,” Bucky spoke up after he played around with the food on his plate for a while. He noticed everyone else was mostly done eating, which he was happy about. No one would harass him. Hopefully.

“News? About Stark?” Natasha asked, the hope shining through her voice. Bucky froze as everyone gave him their unwavering attention.

“Tony has allowed us to start our rescue mission. JARVIS doesn’t know how much longer he’ll last, so we have to start as soon as possible,” Bucky explained. Everyone froze, eyes wide. They could get Tony. Tony was going to be coming back. Slowly, one by one, smiles started breaking out. Everyone was smiling, everyone but Bucky. Bucky knew that Tony wouldn’t come back the same as he was before HYDRA took him. He knew Tony would be insanely different, but he wasn’t sure how HYDRA would have affected him. Bucky just hoped that he would be able to help Tony through everything, because Bucky knew what it felt like to have no one. 

“How are we going to do this, then? We know where he is, but we don’t know what we’re up against,” Natasha spoke up, pointing out a valid point. The Avengers didn’t know what they were running into, and that seemed to be a good reason for uncertainty. Steve and Bucky exchanged a glance before Steve stood up.

“It doesn’t matter how many people we’re up against. Tony is one of us, and that should be reason enough to go after him. And Tony waited for a reason, he must’ve had a plan of some sort,” Steve announced, looking at each of the Avengers in turn. After a few moments of silence, everyone started to agree. They needed to save Tony. Tony was a very important part of the team, although most of them hated that fact. 

“Okay. We’ll go in tomorrow,” Natasha announced, dismissing everyone to go prepare for the upcoming mission. Bucky and Steve made their way to their floor, starting to prepare their suits and weapons. Bucky prepared his arsenal, making sure he had everything he thought he’d need.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Buck?” Steve asked, concerned about his boyfriend, who had been a victim of HYDRA for over 70 years. Bucky shrugged, not wanting to think about what would happen if someone knew his trigger words. Bucky wouldn’t be able to stop himself from hurting anyone if they managed to gain control of him, again.

“I’m ready for this, Steve. Just make sure I don’t go Winter Soldier on the wrong side,” Bucky replied, shooting a small smile toward the still worried Steve. The super soldier nodded, moving towards his boyfriend. Steve carefully wrapped his arms around Bucky, who had stopped moving as he thought about HYDRA and what they’d done to him, and what they could’ve done to Tony. Bucky wrapped his flesh arm around Steve, still scared of his metal arm. Steve noticed the hesitation and grabbed Bucky’s metal arm, forcing him to wrap it around Steve’s body, just as his other arm was.

“I trust you, Bucky. We’ll be fine, and we’ll find ways to help Tony when he gets back. Okay?” Steve asked in a soft voice.

“Okay,” Bucky muttered, smiling against Steve’s shoulder. Sometimes, the new Steve reverted back to the old Steve, the skinny Brooklyn boy that the old Bucky had fallen in love. The new Bucky was in love with the new and old Steve… so, just Steve in general. Bucky didn’t think Steve would ever understand how much he meant to Bucky, and Bucky started realizing that Tony was slowly worming his way into Bucky’s cold heart, even if he didn’t know.

This just spelled out trouble.


	12. saving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... the crew saves Tony, which is good. Maybe... you never know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, obviously I lied about my update schedule and I apologize for that. All I can really tell you is that I'll update when I can. But I promise there will be an update at least once a month, if not more. Once again, sorry. Enjoy this chapter, comment or whatever. I'll have another chapter posted later today.

Natasha, Clint, Loki, Thor, Sam, Rhodey, Banner, Steve, and Bucky all crowded onto a quinjet, Natasha flying with Clint in the co-pilot’s seat. Loki, Thor, Sam, and Rhodey were all sitting across from Banner, Steve, and Bucky, who were all waiting anxiously for news that they had reached Russia. They knew it’d still be a few hours, but they were fearful. Fearful that Tony may not be the same Tony from before. They only just got him back form his little three-month session of hiding in his lab, and they didn’t think they were prepared to lose him again, this time for good.

“What’s our plan?” Natasha asked. Everyone froze. They were currently going into this without a plan, and that was never a good course of action. They needed some sort of structure to make sure that everyone would be able to get out, especially Tony and Bucky. If either of the two ended in HYDRA’s hands in the end, the Avengers would be in serious trouble. No one even knew exactly what had been happening with Tony while he was in the HYDRA base. The only messages they got from him was that he was still alive, and that he’d give them the okay to get him sometime soon. But those messages stopped weeks ago, and everyone was terrified that Tony had died. They were left in silence for two days before JARVIS gave them the message that Tony was alive, but there were complications, so he wouldn’t be communicating with them anymore until he thought it was time for him to get out.

“Rhodey and Sam have aerial, Natasha, you stay with the quinjet. We need to be ready for a quick retreat. Loki and Thor have perimeter, Banner will stay here unless we call for a Code Green. Clint will cover the roof. Bucky, Tony, and I will make our way to the roof. Rhodey will take Tony back to the quinjet, and Sam will take Bucky. Clint and I will stay until Rhodey and Sam come back. Rhodey will take Clint, and Sam will take me. Thor and Loki will make their way back, and we’ll set of bombs that Bucky and I place inside. We’re burning the place down,” Steve explained the plan, revealing a backpack filled with bombs to bring the base burning to the ground. 

“Okay, that’s a good plan. We’ll be there in about three hours, everyone should get rest while they can,” Natasha spoke, glancing back at all of the Avengers who would be saving Tony. No one closed their eyes, and no one spoke. Their focus was on the mission. Their focus was on saving Tony Stark, the man who somehow kept this team together, no matter what. 

“We’re approaching base. We leave no one behind, and we’re all getting out of this one alive. Understood?” Natasha asked, glancing back at the other Avengers as she landed. Everyone nodded, grabbing their weapons. The ramp lowered, and Rhodey and Sam immediately took to the air with Clint in Sam’s arms. Clint was dropped onto the roof, and Thor and Loki rushed out, clearing a path for Bucky and Steve to follow to the front doors of the base. They entered, immediately being noticed by ten HYDRA agents, and the alarm was pulled. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Tony Stark jumped when the alarms went off. All he knew was that something was happening, and he wasn’t a part of it. Tony couldn’t remember much, although faces and names kept flashing through his mind. He didn’t know what any of it meant, and it hurt his head if he focused on the faces or names for too long. Tony couldn’t talk, either, which confused him. His handler, Jade, told him that he had been born a mute, and that HYDRA had saved him from death. He knew he didn’t agree with their views on the world, but he knew he would be punished if he went against them, so he did everything Jade asked. He knew that this blank mind thing was nothing new, and he knew that this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Tony wasn’t stupid, he was a genius, he could clearly see that HYDRA was doing their best to control him, which is why they wiped his mind twice a day. Once in the morning, and once at night, just before they sent him to bed. 

The door slammed open, and Jade walked in with ten guards following her. Most of them stayed at the door, not entering the room, but Jade walked right up to him and started swinging her knife at him, slapping him, kicking him, anything she could do to harm him. She just cackled as this was going on, and Tony could tell she had gone completely insane, although she wasn’t very sane before hand, if he took note of the gleam in her eyes. During the entire time Jade took her anger out on him, Tony hadn’t uttered a sound. He took the pain, repeating that he shouldn’t feel pain over and over in his head. Jade eventually stopped, and smirked as Tony slumped to the floor. Jade turned to the one guard who had entered the room.

“Your gun,” Jade stated.

“What about it?” the guard asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Give it to me.” Jade growled out. The guard quickly fumbled and handed it to her. She unlocked the safety and shot him through the head. Tony watched as his limp body fell to the floor, blood quickly coating the concrete floor. Tony knew what was coming next. Either she was going to shoot him a couple of times and leave him within inches of death, or she would should him straight through the head or heart, killing him instantly. For some reason, Tony felt that it was the former, and was proven correct when he was shot twice, once in each leg. Next, she shot him twice around his mid-torso, and she aiming the fun once more his shoulder, shooting. Tony felt to the floor, trying to block out the pain as he started bleeding heavily. His entire body was covered in blood and dirt, although that wasn’t anything new. 

“You’re going to stay here and die Stark. You brought this upon us,” Jade hissed before turning to leave. Tony closed his eyes as he heard another gunshot, knowing that Jade had killed herself in order to avoid being captured or something similar. Tony layed there, wondering what had happened to his memory, and what was currently happening. He heard loud footsteps rushing his way, but he could tell that they weren’t the footsteps of a HYDRA agent. HYDRA agents have a stutter in their walking, they sort of take a millisecond to pause before they continue with the next step. Tony found it odd but never questioned it. 

“Tony?” a voice echoed into the room. Tony looked up and saw one of the faces that kept flashing through his mind, although he couldn’t put a name to it.

“I recognize you. Who are you?” Tony asked, slowly inching his backwards and into a corner. It was better because then he wouldn’t have to defend himself from all sides. 

“My name is Bucky Barnes. There’s a man outside the door. His name is Steve Rogers. We’re friends with you. There’s a lot of other people around who are your friends. We’re here to get you back to safety. Is it okay if I move towards you?” Bucky asked. Tony watched him for a moment, noticing how he seemed relaxed around Tony, and how he didn’t seem to pose a danger despite the many weapons he had on him. Tony gave a nod, and Bucky only moved one step at a time, asking how he was doing every time he took a step. 

“Okay, Tony. I’m going to pick you up, and we’re going to escape. Steve will protect us while we make our way to the roof, where someone will pick you up and bring you to a jet. I will be right behind you. Is that okay?” Bucky asked, slowly crouching down to Tony’s level.

“Jet?” Tony asked.

“Yes. We have a jet here. We have an entire team who’s come to rescue you. If you want, you can sit next to me on the jet, and everyone else can sit away from us.” Bucky mumbled. Tony gave a hesitant nod and reached for Bucky, allowing the man to pick him up. They made their way to the door, where Steve was already ready with his shield. Floor by floor, the three made their way up.

There was one point where one of the HYDRA agents almost managed to get a hold on Tony and Bucky, but Steve knocked him out with a quick kick to the head. After that, it was smooth sailing, all of the HYDRA agents seemed to be gone, and the base seemed to be evacuated, but Bucky and Tony knew the truth. They were hiding in the lower levels. 

Tony, Bucky, and Steve eventually made it to the roof, where Clint was waiting. Tony froze and tried to get away, but Bucky was quick to calm him down and explain that Clint was on their side. Next thing he knew, Tony was being transferred into the arms of a man in a metal suit. Bucky grabbed onto the other man, who had mechanical wings attached to his back. 

Tony and Bucky were dropped off at the quinjet, and Tony stumbled, before passing out, Bucky catching him and carefully settling him into a seat. Bucky could already tell that Tomy’s experience had been bad.


	13. back at base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... Tony is back at the base, but he's not the same...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter of today! I hope you guys like it. Leave a comment or something, please. Let me know what you think.

Tony gasped as he woke. He took in his surroundings, noticing he was in a pure write hospital room. It took Tony a minute to remember what had happened. He had been taken from HYDRA by a man called Bucky. Tony knew he recognized him, and he tried digging into his brain to find out who Bucky was, but he only came back with an excruciating headache. 

The door to the room opened, and Tony glanced up to see Bucky and two other men. He recognized one as the man who had metal wings, the man who carried Bucky back to the jet. Tony noticed the other man, this one wearing a lab coat and seemingly older, and he panicked. He didn’t want anymore experiments. Tony did his best to get as far away from the three men as possible. He noticed Bucky motion for the other two men to stay put, and Bucky slowly approached Tony. 

"Hey Tony. You remember me, right?” Bucky asked. When Tony gave a nod, he continued, “That’s great, Tony. Now, the older man is named Bruce Banner. He’s a scientist and a genius just like you. The other man is Sam Wilson. Bruce is here to evaluate your physical state, and Sam is here to evaluate your mental state. They’re just going to ask questions and Bruce needs to check a few things, but only if you’re comfortable, okay?” Tony stared at Bucky for a moment, before his eyes went to Bucky’s metal arm. 

“Asset?” Tony asked, confused. Bucky was shocked by the question, but did his best to keep his emotions under control. HYDRA must of did something to Tony, because there was a sort of submission in Tony’s eyes once he realized who Bucky was. 

“Not anymore, Tony. I’m no longer with HYDRA. You’re no longer with HYDRA. Okay?” Bucky asked, keeping an eye on Tony. The man nodded, and Bruce approached them, quickly getting what he needed and leaving the room. Sam approached them next, a notebook and recording device in hand. Tony watched as Sam sat down, close enough where Tony could see what he was doing, but far enough where Tony, and Bucky for that matter, didn’t feel threatened. Sam asked a million questions, Tony only answering in words or phrases, never a full sentence. After Sam got the information he needed, he left the room, letting Bucky know he’d send Steve the results once he got the diagnosis.   
After everyone was out of the room, Tony let himself let his guard down, looking at Bucky with a sort of wonder Bucky had never seen before. Tony almost looked younger, and Bucky could tell that they experimented on him. The way he reacted when Bruce came in was unsettling, and Tony looking different. He looked younger, he was only slightly taller, and his eyes were almost completely black right now. Bucky started to wonder if Tony’s eyes would be like his own, changing colors depending on whether he was in Soldier mode, or if he was purely Bucky. Bucky could control it, of course, but he didn’t, because it helped people to know whether he was safe to be around or not. 

“Safe?” Tony asked, mumbling. Bucky’s eyes widened, this was exactly what he was like when he came back to Steve. Bucky can only imagine what HYDRA had done to Tony if he was this bad only after a few months. 

“Yes. You’re safe, Tony. You’re in your true home,” Bucky replied. Tony nodded, seeming relieved now that Bucky told him he was safe. The door to the room opened then, and Steve entered the room, making Tony, and Bucky, bristle. Tony was scared, and Bucky was just frustrated that Tony couldn't have his peace for long. 

“Bucky, Fury wants to see us,” Steve announced, ignoring Tony’s presence. Tony slouched down, trying to make himself seem smaller. He even shifted his weight so he was slightly behind Bucky’s broad frame.

“I’m not leaving Tony,” Bucky announced. Steve studied the two, and a sudden flash of jealousy flashed through his body. Bucky cared more about Tony at the moment, and Steve was low on the list of importance. Tony had been high on the list since the entire civil war thing happened. 

“Bucky, Fury is asking for us. We have to go,” Steve urged. Bucky narrowed his eyes, studying Steve for a moment. He noticed the slight shift in Steve’s posture which signaled that the man was lying. Bucky sighed and turned to Tony, who was darting his eyes between the two apprehensively.

“Tony, this is my boyfriend, Steve,” Bucky introduced. Tony’s expression went from confused, to sad, to realization.

“Oh. Okay,” was the only thing the man said. Bucky gave a hesitant nod before forcing Steve to leave the room. Bucky then locked the door, stopping anyone else from entering the room and startling Tony.

“Are you okay, Tony?” Bucky asked, sitting in the chair next to Tony’s bed. Tony watched as Bucky sat down, and then his gaze drifted to the machines that were monitoring his vitals.

“I’m fine,” Tony mumbled.

“What do you mean by that, Tony?” Bucky asked, not exactly sure what the genius was getting at. There could be a million definitions behind that single word. 

“I am healthy. I am alive. I am not dying. I am emotionally stable. I am alive. I am not insane,” Tony spoke, startling Bucky. Bucky was expecting a lot to come from Stark’s mouth, but that was definitely not one of the things Bucky was expecting.

“Yes, you’re alive. You’re not dying, and you’re not insane,” Bucky carefully replied. Tony nodded.

“Why are we not with HYDRA anymore?” Tony asked.

“HYDRA was not right. HYDRA is evil,” Bucky replied. “Tony, can you tell me what they did to you?”

“No. I’m sorry. No.” Tony replied, flinching back. Bucky’s eyes widened. The expectation of being hit was already ingrained in Tony’s mind. Bucky sighed and moved towards Tony. He placed a hand on his head, and Tony immediately froze.

“Your brain is your superpower, Tony. Don’t let them or anyone else control it.” Bucky whispered. Tony gave a slight, hesitant nod.


	14. Apology, I guess?

Hello dear readers, Shadow here! I suppose I owe you all an explanation, one that I really don't have, and can't delve into too much due to personal reasons. Things have been rough this year and I'm trying to work through everything, and I'm pretty sure I lost everything I had for this book, so I'll have to go through and rewrite everything I had, which really sucks. All I can really tell you right now is that I deal with some mental things, and I've been going to a lot of therapy recently to help me through that. But I'm getting better, and I can try updating more, but I'm not going to promise anything. I'll try to get a few chapters out soon, just to make up for my lack of activity here. I hope you all understand and are willing to wait, and I'm truly sorry for keeping you guys waiting this long. 

Other than that, anyone have any theories on where this story is going, or any ideas on where it should end up? Since I have to rewrite everything, I figured I'd ask you guys what you thought. 

Thank you for support and thank you for sticking with me and this book! Feel free to leave a comment or anything, and I'm always willing to talk with you guys!


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